Vaping is not a gateway to smoking

January 11th 2017

A previous study conducted on students at the Virginia Commonwealth University claimed that vapers were 3.4 times more likely to be smoking a year later as those who were vape free.

Dr. Stanton Glantz, an opponent of e-cigarettes, therefore proclaimed that this was confirmation of the so-called gateway effect of vaping and the study’s authors concluding that ‘limiting young adults’ access to these products may be beneficial’.

As seen very commonly with these anti-vaping studies, the data collected was manipulated in a way to suit the desired outcome of the authors. Unsurprisingly, Dr. Michael Siegel notes that the study’s findings were actually inaccurate and pointed out that:-

Current e-cigarette users at baseline were no more likely to progress to current smoking than young adults who didn’t use e-cigarettes at all.

When Dr. Glantz claimed that the vapers were now current smokers, what he actually meant is that they had tried a cigarette but hadn’t smoked in the last 30 days.

The findings showed that 6 vapers out of the 3757 students had transitioned to vaping. Compare this to the 20 students who had switched from smoking (at the baseline of the study) to e-cigarettes and the 45 dual users who were now exclusively using e-cigarettes, and the evidence seems to be pretty favourable towards e-cigs.

By manipulating facts and findings in studies like the one discussed above, are vaping opponents turning heads and succeeding in their campaign of turning people against e-cigs? Read more about how vaping isn’t a gateway to smoking and let us know what you think in the comments below.